not prohibited in constitution either

from his website:
Jack Ryan, 44, brings a fresh face to Illinois politics in his bid to succeed retiring Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald. With control of the U.S. Senate at stake, Jack's life experiences and passion for giving back to the community make him the best candidate to keep this seat in Republican hands.
I guess it does, at that! http://www.jackryan2004.com/

The thing is the GOP has urged Ryan to step down and not run. The GOP also censured Bob Packwood when he was less than exemplary in his sexual behavior. The GOP seems to be the only party that disciplines its own in such matters.

Well, they better get cracking then, cause they're way behind!
"The GOP seems to be the only party that disciplines its own in such matters."
Of course, the morals police!

Well, that's a "glass-half-full" argument I never would have expected to see. Two comments:

1. The GOP most assuredly never disciplined Bob Packwood. The Senate ethics committee recommended his expulsion for both sexual and financial misdeeds, and Packwood resigned rather than be expelled.

2. The Illinois Republican party wouldn't have been so eager to get rid of Ryan if they felt he had even a slight chance of actually winning the election. As it is, they are more afraid that a dismal showing by Ryan will hurt GOP congressional candidates throughout the state. Furthermore, this gives the leaders of the state party a chance to nominate a dependable member of their own ranks, rather than an unpredictable outsider like Ryan.

Joe is correct. We learned more about Packwood's transgressions after he left. Ryan would have added to the view of the Republicans as hypocrites -- do as I say, not as I do.

You guys must have been watching and reading different news sources than I was watching and reading during the Packwood scandal. It led the front page almost everywhere. And when I say the GOP censured Packwood, I mean they did not defend what he did and they did ask him to step down. And that's what I meant by 'discipline'. In other words, what Packwood did was wrong and the GOP neither condoned nor defended it. What Packwood did was an extremely minor issue, however, when compared with some other offenses committed by others that are either defended, ignored, or swept quickly under the rug. Ted Kennedy is still a senator for instance.

Thank God for that!

No, they did not ask him to step down.


According to that standard, the Democrats also censured Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

You go, Joe!